6.1 Invoking the msginit Program

The msginit program creates a new PO file, initializing the meta
information with values from the user’s environment.

Here are more details. The following header fields of a PO file are
automatically filled, when possible.

‘Project-Id-Version’

The value is guessed from the configure script or any other files
in the current directory.

‘PO-Revision-Date’

The value is taken from the PO-Creation-Data in the input POT
file, or the current date is used.

‘Last-Translator’

The value is taken from user’s password file entry and the mailer
configuration files.

‘Language-Team, Language’

These values are set according to the current locale and the predefined
list of translation teams.

‘MIME-Version, Content-Type, Content-Transfer-Encoding’

These values are set according to the content of the POT file and the
current locale. If the POT file contains charset=UTF-8, it means that
the POT file contains non-ASCII characters, and we keep the UTF-8
encoding. Otherwise, when the POT file is plain ASCII, we use the
locale’s encoding.

‘Plural-Forms’

The value is first looked up from the embedded table.

As an experimental feature, you can instruct msginit to use the
information from Unicode CLDR, by setting the GETTEXTCLDRDIR
environment variable.

6.1.1 Input file location

‘-i inputfile’

‘--input=inputfile’

Input POT file.

If no inputfile is given, the current directory is searched for the
POT file. If it is ‘-’, standard input is read.

6.1.2 Output file location

‘-o file’

‘--output-file=file’

Write output to specified PO file.

If no output file is given, it depends on the ‘--locale’ option or the
user’s locale setting. If it is ‘-’, the results are written to
standard output.

6.1.3 Input file syntax

‘-P’

‘--properties-input’

Assume the input file is a Java ResourceBundle in Java .properties
syntax, not in PO file syntax.

‘--stringtable-input’

Assume the input file is a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in
.strings syntax, not in PO file syntax.

6.1.4 Output details

‘-l ll_CC’

‘--locale=ll_CC’

Set target locale. ll should be a language code, and CC should
be a country code. The command ‘locale -a’ can be used to output a list
of all installed locales. The default is the user’s locale setting.

‘--no-translator’

Declares that the PO file will not have a human translator and is instead
automatically generated.

‘--color’

‘--color=when’

Specify whether or when to use colors and other text attributes.
See The --color option for details.

Write out a Java ResourceBundle in Java .properties syntax. Note
that this file format doesn’t support plural forms and silently drops
obsolete messages.

‘--stringtable-output’

Write out a NeXTstep/GNUstep localized resource file in .strings syntax.
Note that this file format doesn’t support plural forms.

‘-w number’

‘--width=number’

Set the output page width. Long strings in the output files will be
split across multiple lines in order to ensure that each line’s width
(= number of screen columns) is less or equal to the given number.

‘--no-wrap’

Do not break long message lines. Message lines whose width exceeds the
output page width will not be split into several lines. Only file reference
lines which are wider than the output page width will be split.